The Irish standard., 1887-07-30

bill. Statistics show conclusively that
the percentage of crime for some
months past has been far below the
average, and this in the face of the fact
that determined effort has been made
by the Tories to incite the people to
commit crimes.
In the case of former coercion bills
there was but slight opposition, but the
present measure is opposed by very
large minority in the British House of
Commons and the majority of the peo
pie of England, majority, by the way,
that is likely to increase, if we accept
the elections which have recently taken
place as criterion. If the Government
was willing to be governed by past ex.
periences it would hesitate before pre-
c,pitating itself into fight that must
inevitably result in disaster TO itself as
we'll as hardship to the people of Ire
land. Nobody is more capable of Civ
ing an opinion OH this point than MIR.
Gladstone. In moving the three
months hoist. he admitted that his ex-
perience of measures of that kind in
the past was that they invariably ended
in failure, but secuted the idea that the
Liberals had ever introduced such a
bill as the present, which virtually
made the viceroy master of the whole
law and the right of association. The
Government, he rightly said, would not
dare to apply to England, a provision
such as they were forcing upon Ire.
land. He contended that the Govern
ment was bound to extend to the occu-
piers of the land in Ireland perfect
equality with English trades unions, as
regards the rights and practices en-
joyed by the latter, amongst which
were sanctioned. As the bill now
stood, if an Irishman joined an associa-
tion, it was for Mr.. Balfour to say
whether or not he became criminal by
the act. In conclusion he said that Ire.
land, after seventy years of oppression
and wrong, was in a STAGE of misery
and w1etchedness. In the whole Brit
ish Empire there was not. he said, a
square yard of land which England held
by force alone except in Ireland, where
force was employed. Ireland was held
by mastery, but the Government re-
fused to learn that mastery involved re-
sponsibility. They knew that the whole
literature of the world was against
them. He challenged the Government
to mention any authority who had re-
vived the relations between England
and Ireland without arriving at a
Home Rule resolution. The Tories
professed to be fighting for the union of
the Empire, fight in which the Lib
erals joined. The Liberals held that
the charge of disunion was ridiculous.
It was evident that the present state of
affairs could not last long, as Mr.. Glad
stone believed that every day tended to
bring the Tories nearer their doom.
Could anything be more conclusive
than this? The spectacle of Govern
ment placing in the category Of crime
many acts heretofore considered legiti-
mate and proper is surely sufficient
provocation to bring down upon its
head the ridicule of every man whose
mind is not biased by an unqEenchable
hatred of Ireland. How could Mr.. Bal
four conceive a weaker justification of
the action of his Government than is
to be found in his reply to a question IN
the House of Commons last Tuesday
afternoon. He defended the proclaim
ing under the Crimes Act Of certain
counties in Ireland which, he asserted,
are in partially disturbed state. He
openly admitted that the statistics OF
crime did not indicate a serious state OF
things in Ireland, but, summoning all
the hypocrisy he could to his assistance,
he reminded the House that besides the
recorded outrages 1.-THE Government
was guided by other information fur
nished by responsible officers - Does
Mr.. Shallow Balfour imagine for one
luO1u0llU Uue6O Gu0 11CO S1uu AuuOPO"NOAV
electors of Great Britain can be hood
winked with reports manufactured by
perjured agents of the Government. If
he was in possession Of informa-
tion furnished by irresponsible agents.
why was it not laid before the House
during the prolonged discussion on the
Crimes Act amendment bill. The
fraud is altogether too transparent. and
will only result in placing the Govern
ment in more ridiculous light.
After all, the application of the
Coercion bill has an amusing side. just
think of ''Loyal" Ulster, sacred to the
memory of the s'pious and immortal
William" being submitted to the same
;ndignities as the rest of Ireland il! No
wonder the ''loyal sons of William" feel
indignant at such an insult. Are they
to understand that the Government in
whose honor they pelted Catholics with
stones is going to prosecute them when
they violate the elastic provisions OF
the Coercion bill, just the same as plain,